Border Patrol Union A Rare Labor Brick In Trump's Wall

The union representing the country's 16,500 Border Patrol agents published its decision on March 30. A spokesman declined to say how the Council reached its decision.

AFGE Backing Clinton

The union's umbrella organization, the American Federation of Government Employees, endorsed Hillary Clinton in December.

Council President Brandon Judd first cited border security, saying that "if we do not secure our borders, American communities will continue to suffer at the hands of gangs, cartels and violent criminals preying on the innocent." The issue has been a focus of Mr. Trump's campaign since he announced his run in August with a speech pledging to build "a great, great wall" on the country's southern border to keep out illegal immigrants. He prom­ised to make Mexico pay for it.

Mr. Trump was also widely criticized for his characterization of those immigrants.

Mr. Judd praised the candidate for nudging immigration into the dialogue, and refusing to flinch before critics of such remarks.

"And when the withering media storm ensued, he did not back down one iota," Mr. Judd said. "That tells you the measure of a man."

'Completely Independent'

He praised Mr. Trump as an outsider to the political establishment, saying that he had "created thousands of jobs, pledged to bring about aggressive pro-American change, and [is] completely independent of special interests."

He added, "We need a person in the White House who doesn't fear the media, who doesn't embrace political correctness, who doesn't need the money, who is familiar with success, who won't bow to foreign dictators, who is pro-military and values law enforcement, and who is angry for America and NOT subservient to the interests of other nations. Donald Trump is such a man."

The candidate was also portrayed as a populist figure.

Look at His Foes

Mr. Judd said, "You can judge a man by his opponents: all the people responsible for the problems plaguing America today are opposing Mr. Trump. It is those without political power--the workers, the law-enforcement officers, the everyday families and community members--who are supporting Mr. Trump."

Though Mr. Judd didn't identify the candidate's opponents, he earlier took a swipe at President Obama that seemed an oblique criticism of Ted Cruz, saying that "America has already tried a young, articulate freshman senator who never created a job as an attorney and under whose watch criminal cartels have been given the freest border reign ever known."

AFGE spokesman Tim Kauff­­man declined to comment.

In the parent union's endorsement of Secretary Clinton last year, its president, J. David Cox, said the decision was made by the executive council after meeting with her and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. None of the Republican candidates responded to his requests for information, he said. The union also polled its members; the majority planned to vote for a Democrat, and he said that Secretary Clinton was their choice by a two-to-one margin.

Mr. Cox cited Ms. Clinton's "vision for a strong and vibrant government workforce that has the necessary tools and support needed to deliver vital programs and services to the American public."

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